Chapter 49

"Young Master Neung, I tried to let this go nicely, but you recklessly rushed at a martial artist like me. What exactly were you trying to do?"

"Ah, it hurts! Let go!"

As Neung Jeong-dong was screaming and struggling, Cheong-ra had no choice but to twist his arm behind his back to subdue him. He spoke coldly.

"Young Master Neung, you're foolish. For an ordinary person like you to pick a fight with a martial artist is the same as asking to be killed."

Cheong-ra's words were not wrong at all. Why do ordinary commoners cower at the sight of martial artists? It's because martial artists generally don't hesitate to kill people and possess overwhelming physical power. Their pride is also so high that many kill others just for offending them.

No matter how precious a young master from a powerful family one might be, if caught by a martial artist living without regard for the future, they could be sent to the afterlife in an instant. Cheong-ra, who felt a bit sorry for the other due to the scene he had witnessed underground last time, wanted to firmly impart this fact. However, for some reason, Cheong-ra's actions seemed to be interpreted in a strange way.

"Ah, ow, it hurts, it hurts... Please let go..."

As the other suddenly became docile and let out an affected moan, Cheong-ra was taken aback. Hearing the excited, rough breathing, he recalled a memory and unknowingly looked between the other's legs. Then Neung Jeong-dong cried out, sobbing.

"Don't look! I said don't look!"

Why was he spreading his legs more while saying not to look...?

Clearly, Neung Jeong-dong had rushed at him first, but now that the other was letting out strange moans, it seemed as if Cheong-ra was violating him.

It would be right to let go in this situation, but suddenly feeling strong curiosity, Cheong-ra hesitated. After confirming once again that no one else was in the back garden, he twisted Neung Jeong-dong's arm up a bit more. It was a movement that didn't strain the joint but was enough to cause pain. Neung Jeong-dong screamed.

"Agh! It hurts, let this go!"

The scream was so loud that Cheong-ra covered his mouth, making Neung Jeong-dong's eyes widen. Feeling the rapid, panting breath under his palm made Cheong-ra feel strange too. Worried that someone might hear, Cheong-ra lowered his body close. He asked near Neung Jeong-dong's ear.

"Do you like being treated like this?"

"Huk..."

"Do you like me threatening and hurting you, Young Master Neung? In this back garden where someone might come, you might be beaten severely while defenseless, paralyzed by having your pressure points struck?"

Although he had asked with purely innocent intentions, Neung Jeong-dong trembled as if he had been violated. To anyone watching, he clearly seemed to have become excited and felt pleasure. Flustered, Cheong-ra quickly let go of Neung Jeong-dong's arm and stepped back. Neung Jeong-dong sobbed and slowly raised his upper body.

"Hmm..."

This was the first time in his life Cheong-ra had encountered such a situation. He first helped Neung Jeong-dong up and sat him on a nearby chair. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and politely handed it to the other. While Cheong-ra turned his back and waited, Neung Jeong-dong quietly cleared his throat and fixed his disheveled clothes.

"Y-Young Master Baek Ri..."

"Yes, Young Master Neung."

Answering, Cheong-ra turned around to see Neung Jeong-dong looking docile, with no trace of his previous anger. Perhaps feeling somewhat ashamed that Cheong-ra had subdued him and he had even become excited from the shock, he couldn't properly meet Cheong-ra's eyes. Neung Jeong-dong hesitated, then asked again in a quiet voice.

"So, Young Master Baek Ri is not... Lord Owner Dang's favorite slave?"

Cheong-ra looked around once more. Sensing this might be a longer conversation, he sat down next to Neung Jeong-dong, who flinched and blushed. Then he glanced at Cheong-ra's face as if seeing it anew.

"Feel free to speak comfortably. We're about the same age anyway, and the Baek family is famous even in Chang'an..."

In fact, Cheong-ra had never once considered the Baek family as his own since joining Moon Lake Sect, but since Neung Jeong-dong didn't know the circumstances, it was understandable for him to think so, so Cheong-ra didn't say anything. Instead, he asked what he was curious about.

"Then I'll speak comfortably. Young Master Neung, what exactly is a 'favorite slave'?"

"Ah. A favorite slave is, well..."

Neung Jeong-dong, who had become markedly docile after being subdued by Cheong-ra once, explained. According to him, master and favorite slave were terms used secretly among those who enjoyed hitting and being hit. Favorite slave meant, as Cheong-ra had guessed, a slave cherished by the master. However, still not fully understanding, Cheong-ra asked.

"You were treated so harshly that day, how is that treating a cherished slave?"

"Because to a favorite slave, that feels like being cherished."

Surprisingly, Neung Jeong-dong didn't seem to consider what had happened to him that day as a wound at all. Rather, he seemed a bit excited while talking about that day's events.

"There are many brothels in Chang'an, but none like The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance. It's hard enough to enter this place, but all the slaves like us want to serve masters like Lord Owner Dang. But that day, Young Master Baek Ri took Lord Owner Dang for yourself so openly."

"That's not taking him, it's..."

As this was his first time having such a conversation with someone like Neung Jeong-dong, Cheong-ra couldn't easily continue his words. After being grabbed by the hair and dragged to the room, he was strangled and forced to put the chair armrest in his mouth. It was extremely bewildering to hear that described as taking Dang Ran-yeong for himself. Neung Jeong-dong, not minding such a reaction, rather had his eyes shine.

"I wish Lord Owner Dang would strangle my neck and whip me too... I could enjoy that for a whole year."

He wants to be whipped by that man? Cheong-ra frowned as he recalled Dang Ran-yeong's whip. Remembering that terrifying sound it made, he was certain that if Neung Jeong-dong received the whipping he had, he would be crippled.

As this was also his first time having such a low-quality conversation, Cheong-ra opened his mouth and then closed it. Neung Jeong-dong seemed a bit pleased by this reaction and asked.

"It seems Young Master Baek Ri doesn't like being strangled. Then do you dislike being hit too?"

How could a person like pain? Such a question arose, but he soon understood. He himself liked being defeated, so others could like pain too. Seeing Cheong-ra's calm face, Neung Jeong-dong tilted his head and asked more secretly.

"Or do you like hitting others? Lord Owner Dang sometimes turns masters into slaves too..."

Still not adapted to the conversation with Neung Jeong-dong, Cheong-ra shook his head.

Neung Jeong-dong, who had been stealing glances at the beautiful face growing colder as time passed, swallowed hard. He still wanted to serve Dang Ran-yeong the most, but since that seemed unlikely, he harbored a wish that it would be good if the Moonlight Flashing Sword were his master too. Seeing that the other seemed to know almost nothing, Neung Jeong-dong lowered his voice even more and asked.

"Do you like being forcibly violated? Or being tied up? Not all favorite slaves like being hit, you know."

As Cheong-ra continued to show no reaction, Neung Jeong-dong tilted his head in uncertainty. Thinking about it, since the other was a martial artist, he wondered if perhaps he and Dang Ran-yeong had just fought. If so, such severe marks could be left on his neck.

Although Neung Jeong-dong had frequented The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance for quite some time, he had never seen Dang Ran-yeong take in a favorite slave. He always looked down arrogantly and indifferently, just watching others play, so slaves like Neung Jeong-dong imagined what it would be like if Dang Ran-yeong were their master and yearned for it.

Unlike Neung Jeong-dong's confusion, Cheong-ra's heart was turbulently reacting to this question. He didn't like being hit that much, but he did like being forcibly oppressed. However, he had no intention of revealing such inner thoughts to someone he had just met. With a half-doubting mind, he hardened his face and replied to Neung Jeong-dong.

"Young Master Neung. Do I really need to answer that question?"

As he spoke coldly with a slight hint of killing intent, Neung Jeong-dong shrank back and blushed. Cheong-ra preferred to be seen as a master rather than be considered a favorite slave. This was a separate issue from his preference for finding pleasure in being harshly subjugated by Dang Ran-yeong.

"Just answer my questions well. Understand?"

"Mm..."

As Cheong-ra spoke sternly, Neung Jeong-dong answered shyly and glanced at him. Seeing that it seemed to work well, Cheong-ra felt inwardly relieved but also somewhat sorry. He continued his questions.

"It was my first time going underground last time, but it seems there are more people with that kind of preference than I thought."

"Well, it's few if you say it's few, and many if you say it's many... Everyone has their face to save so they can't say it, but there must be hundreds just in Chang'an."

"Hundreds?"

"Even hundreds is an underestimate. How many perverts are there who look normal on the outside? Especially if it's Young Master Baek Ri, you could take anyone as master or slave regardless of status."

Neung Jeong-dong gave him a subtle look, implying that he was included. However, even after a long pause, seeing that the other showed no interest in him at all, Neung Jeong-dong's face, which had been pouting, turned pale and he flinched back.

"Oh, but... Young Master Baek Ri keeps an unusual pet."

"Pet?"

"That thing on your right shoulder, isn't it a pet?"

Neung Jeong-dong's words sent chills down Cheong-ra's spine. As Cheong-ra slowly turned his head, he felt something cool touch his cheek. At some point, the baby Venomous Horned Serpent had climbed onto his shoulder and was flicking its tongue. Cheong-ra froze as his eyes met the Venomous Horned Serpent's.